


A Pureblood’s Guide to Courting Clueless Wizards

by Browncoat03K64



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (not much I promise), Blaise Zabini is a Good Friend, Courting Rituals, Courtship, Gay Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Mild Weasley Bashing, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Remus Lupin Lives, Romance, Trans Draco Malfoy, Transphobia isn’t a thing in wizarding culture, Wizarding Culture (Harry Potter), Wizarding Traditions (Harry Potter), and lots of fluff and clueless harry, because jkr can eat my trans dick, but light transphobia will crop up later in the fic, this story will have minimal angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25081876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browncoat03K64/pseuds/Browncoat03K64
Summary: The war is over and the wizarding world is moving on. It’s time for Draco Malfoy to repair his family’s image and secure himself a powerful marriage alliance, and who better to fit that bill than Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World himself. However, the path to marriage is not an easy one, particularly when the object of your suit is more than a bit clueless about wizarding culture, courtship, and love.**Update (2/9): Not gonna make weekly update promises again, but posts will be more frequent now, and this work WILL NOT be abandoned.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 14
Kudos: 98





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a WIP that I’m hoping to update every week. I don’t anticipate it being particularly long, as this is my first fic. I’m writing this because I’ve been reading (and re-reading) a lot of HP fics lately, and I love the Pureblood traditions/courting trope and wish there was more. I’m also writing this because I hate JKR and Draco Malfoy is trans, so there. There will be some light transphobia later in the fic that stems from the ignorance of certain characters, but I wanted to build a world in this fic where magic makes being trans not a really big deal and in which wizarding culture doesn’t really have a concept of transphobia or terfy-ness. So hopefully this story will be that, Draco being trans will not be the main point of the story, I just think it’s nice and it would piss off jkr.

Prologue

Draco Malfoy knew from the time he was born what it meant to be a member of the Pureblood elite. He grew up in a world steeped in tradition and was told of his Malfoy legacy from the day he was born. This, of course, meant that no matter how much his mother tried to shelter him, he also grew up hearing the whispers around him. What would it mean for the House of Malfoy that there was no heir who would carry on the family name? Their first child would undoubtedly be the only product of Lucius and Narcissa’s marriage after such a difficult pregnancy. Was this the end of yet another noble houses of the Sacred Twenty-Eight?

So it was not only for his own sake but also to ease his parents’ concerns about the future of their line when he finally broached the subject himself, only six years old but bearing a quiet confidence as he broke the silence of their formal Sunday dinner.

“Mother, father,” he began respectfully, “you have no need to worry about the future of the Malfoy name. I am your son and firstborn heir, and I will do my duty to our House and carry on the traditions of our family with your guidance.”

His mother’s spoon clattered to the table, and she rose from her seat, walking around the table quickly to wrap Draco in her embrace. His father, normally taciturn and distant, retained his composure, but spoke with a touch of warmth and pride.

“I have no doubt you will bring honor to our name, my son. We will begin arrangements at once to begin your introduction to society as our heir. We will have your naming ceremony in private, as we are not so uncouth as to make a… spectacle of our private lives, but after that it will be soon time for you to make your debut and take your proper place.”

“Thank you, father,” Draco kept his voice even, but the young boy was practically glowing, “I won’t let you down.”


	2. A scheming dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco hatches a plan to secure his family's reputation, name, and wealth in one fell swoop... but will Blaise stop laughing long enough to help him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who checked out this fic already - honestly, I posted that prologue at some ungodly hour of the morning out of pettiness because I had to see jkr trending on Twitter all day and I wasn't sure anyone would actually read it. I've got my younger sibling (TheFoxAndTheForest) beta-ing now (since apparently they've been stalking my AO3 account for years...) so the rating will probably go down to T once I get through the next couple chapters and am more sure about the story. Anyways, this story is still a WIP and only the next few chapters are solidly outlined, so let me know in the comments if there's anything/anyone you want to see or any questions you want answered!
> 
> P.S. Almost forgot to add, this fic will update every weekend.

Draco Malfoy’s purpose in life was simple: Continue the Malfoy line. Preserve and honor tradition. Ensure the future stability of the family. Three core tenets that had been ingrained into every Malfoy heir for centuries, passed down as a sacred duty from father to son.

His father may have bollocksed that up a bit, but his father’s failings didn’t negate Draco’s own responsibility to the family. The war and their family’s role in it certainly hadn’t helped the Malfoy reputation or coffers, but esteem and galleons could be won back with enough cunning and determination. And Draco Malfoy was nothing if not cunning and determined.

“So mate, what’s got your head in the clouds this time? Trying to wank off to the idea of a new business deal?”

Blaise Zabini may have been one of Draco’s best friends, but he was still annoying as hell. Flooing into Draco’s study without even a word of notice was, unfortunately, quite a frequent occurrence. Blaise and Pansy both, the twin banes of Draco’s existence and completely incapable of minding their own business.

“Must you be so crass? And no, not a business deal. Well, of a sort, I suppose. I’m getting married,” Draco announced with an air of satisfaction.

Blaise burst out laughing, doubling over with mirth as he wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. “To whom? You’ve no ring, and you certainly haven’t told me of any beau lately. Does the fair object of your affections even know of their upcoming nuptials?”

Draco glared. “When you’re quite finished,” he sniffed.

Blaise eventually straightened up, widening his eyes with false innocence. “Oh, my apologies o great Lord Malfoy, please deign to inform this ignorant peasant of your inevitably well-thought through and not at all ridiculous plan.”

Eyes flaring with anger, Draco ground out his response. “I’m going to marry Harry Potter. I’m going to court him properly and,” he stressed, “I will be successful in my suit.”

Too taken aback to continue with his mocking, Blaise responded with genuine concern, “Bloody hell, you’ve finally cracked, mate. What on earth could possess you to come up with an idea that bloody stupid and think it would work?” Barely pausing for breath, he continued, “Potter hates you, Draco. You bullied him and his friends for the majority of our time in school, and as someone who works with him now, I can say for certain that marriage is the last thing on that man’s mind. In other words: he’s out of your league and not even playing the bloody game, mate.”

Draco leaned forward in his chair, fixing Blaise with a grave stare. “I’m deadly serious, Blaise. I’ve recently come by some information that makes me close to certain that this is the path I should take. I will secure the future of the Malfoy line with this union and restore our reputation in one fell swoop. This is my chance, I’m not planning on squandering it.”

He cut off Blaise’s noise of protest, continuing over whatever his friend was about to interject. “I am not the boy I was at Hogwarts or during the war, and neither is Potter. We are both our own men now, and the courtship will give us the chance to make amends for our past… mistakes.”

Shaking his head wearily, Blaise conceded, “Merlin knows that no one can turn you off a decision once you’ve made it, Draco. Be careful, though. Potter is still the darling of the wizarding world, and for this to go wrong could be a blow that is not just devastating, but that could signify the end to the very Malfoy line you are trying to protect.”

Draco leaned back, satisfied that his friend would not impede his plan in any way. “Now that you’re on board, Blaise,” Draco smirked, “I have a favor to ask of you.”

Blaise buried his face in his hands with a groan. “What are you about to get me into now?” he moaned accusingly.

“You’re on good terms with Potter. I need you to serve as our go-between,” Draco stated.

Aghast, Blaise seemed at a loss for words for once.

“Blaise, you can’t possibly have thought I would have anyone else in mind,” Draco sighed, exasperated. “Who else would be on good enough terms with the both of us to fill the role? My mother? Granger? Weasley? My father? We would end up with a funeral on our hands instead of a wedding.”

Blaise shook his head, running his fingers through his hair thoughtlessly. “All right, you wanker, I’ll do it. If this ends in disaster, though, it’s on your head, not mine.”

“Of course,” Draco assured him smoothly, “I will take full responsibility for the outcome of this endeavor. I appreciate your aid in this, I’ll contact you further with details in the next few days.”

Blaise nodded, moving toward the fireplace to depart. He had received more than his fill of excitement for the day (if verging on a heart attack could be counted as excitement), and he privately mourned the loss of his simple plans of annoying Draco for the rest of the afternoon.

Draco’s voice called him out of his thoughts. “Oh, and Blaise — let’s keep this quiet for now, hmm? I don’t need Pansy breaking down my door over this until things are well underway.”

“She’s liable to catch wind of it anyways, Draco, you know Pansy. But I’ll do my best,” Blaise responded before stepping into the Floo and crisply calling out, “Zabini Manor!” and vanishing into the green flames.

Alone in his study once again, Draco turned back to the papers on his desk. Reaching for his quill and a sheaf of parchment, he settled back and began to scratch out his missive. Yes, the Greengrasses would do nicely to start.

Once finished, Draco rolled up the parchment, securing it with the seal etched onto the Malfoy ring on his finger pressed into soft wax. “Topsy,” he called briskly, and the house elf snapped into existence beside him. “Have this sent to Lord Greengrass immediately. Thank you.” With a bow, the elf accepted the scroll and vanished again.

Well, that was enough to start the first part of his plan. For the next, he’d need to make a family visit. Standing, he shrugged on his coat and walked to the fireplace. Grabbing a handful of Floo powder, he tossed it into the flames before stepping in and stating, “Château Malfoy.”

Landing firmly at his destination, Draco ducked out of the fireplace that had received him. A house elf cracked into sight in front of him, bowing before squeaking out, “Welcome, Lord Malfoy. Your mother is expecting you in the sunroom, please follow Mipsy this way!” Nodding, Draco allowed the elf to lead the way.

While Draco visited his mother quite often, not wishing for her to become lonely in her French refuge, he often found himself surprised by new changes in the decor to the manor house as he was led through to meet his mother in whatever spot they would be taking tea that day. While originally decorated with heavy tapestries in bold colors in the old fashion to help insulate from the cold, Narcissa Malfoy was no slouch when it came to charms and vigorously attacked the old walls with long-lasting warming spells as soon as she had moved in. The château was now arrayed in seasonal floral tones, charmed flowers adorning every surface and cheerfully glowing orbs in place of the wall sconces throughout the halls.

The sunroom was a small patio encased by a dome of magic so strongly layered it appeared solid as glass. Temperature, insect repelling, weather protecting, and shading charms laced through each other to create a room that offered the refreshing feeling and unimpeded view of the gardens without any of the nuisances of the outdoors.

“Hello, Draco,” Narcissa greeted warmly from her seat. She gestured to the chair across from her at the round table in the center of the room.

“Hello, Mother,” Draco responded, sliding into the proffered seat. A house elf appeared with a tray of tea and pastries, setting it down and laying them out carefully on the table before enquiring, “Is Madam Malfoy needing anything else for her tea?”

“No thank you, Nippy,” his mother replied, “This will do quite nicely. You are dismissed.” The elf bowed and vanished with a pop.

“So, my son,” Narcissa began as she reached for the teapot, serving Draco and then herself, “what brings you to visit your mother a whole week ahead of our next planned visit? No bad news, I hope.”

Draco allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. He was not bringing any darkness into his mother’s house today. “Quite the opposite, Mother. I am here to inform you of my intention to begin courting.” Narcissa let out a small gasp of excitement, her eyes lighting up with his words. “I know you and Father had your own ideas of who I would end up marrying, but even if my choice is rather unconventional, I do think I could hardly do better than my intended.”

“Oh?” His mother peered over the rim of her teacup, smiling indulgently at her son.

“I am planning to court Harry Potter, Mother. I know it may be surprising, but I assure you I intend to be successful, and despite our past, I think this has every chance of being a strong union.” Once he started, the words had seemed to tumble from Draco’s mouth. Taking a breath, he gathered his composure. “I will not let you down, Mother.”

Narcissa sat calmly through her son’s outburst with a gaze of motherly affection and an unwavering smile. “Draco, my darling, I will always be proud of you. If you wish to court Mr. Potter, you may rest assured that I will support your choice.”

Draco’s eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected his mother to believe he had a chance of winning Potter, let alone to give him her blessing.

“I daresay Mr. Potter may find himself surprised by whatever you have in store for him, my dragon,” Narcissa continued, eyes twinkling, “but however shadowed it may have been all these years, I will never be surprised by your brilliance.”


	3. A clueless wizard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets a letter, Blaise finds himself having to explain... everything, and Harry learns a bit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, apologies to anyone following this story for not posting last weekend - my work schedule was much heavier than I anticipated and I needed more time to write. I will still be posting the next chapter this weekend, though. Please let me know in the comments if there's any other characters/things you'd like to see added to the story - I have the next few chapters mapped out, but I'm happy to take suggestions :)
> 
> Slight note - what the characters say/believe does not necessarily line up with my own beliefs, as this is fiction in a fantasy world. There will be nothing outright racist/homophobic/transphobic etc in this fic that does not go unchecked by other characters, but I'll warn if any of that is coming up. Check the end notes for more on this if you're curious - there's a bit of worldbuilding I need as a plot point in this chapter that I disagree with but think is mostly innocuous (but I also don't want to offend anybody with large families, so apologies if that's you).

Harry Potter had no idea what he was doing with his life.

He sighed as a hand slammed the morning Daily Prophet onto his desk. “What the bloody hell is this shite, Potter? How are we supposed to get your pipe dream of an orphanage off the ground if all the Prophet ever talks about is what — or who — you had for supper last night?” While Blaise Zabini was usually rather chipper in the mornings, his early bird nature seemed only to offer fuel to the fire of his current irritation.

Harry rested his face briefly in his hands, attempting to rub the tiredness out of his eyes before looking up at Blaise. “I’m trying, Zabini, I really am,” he responded wearily, “but while the Wizengamot don’t give a damn about my fame and the paper has no interest in reporting on anything that reminds people of the war, the Prophet is more than happy to capitalize on my hero status by speculating on my sex life to sell a few papers every time I try to have dinner with a friend.”

Blaise looked like he wanted to continue with his tirade, but his attention was suddenly drawn to the window by the sharp pecking of an owl. Harry was glad for the interruption, as this was a conversation that was becoming increasingly familiar over the course of recent weeks. The owl was not one that he recognized, either, which meant it could come bearing good news about the progress of that project. _Very unlikely, that,_ he thought to himself, before shoving away his negative (if realistic) mental commentary.

Standing, he voiced his more positive thoughts to Blaise as he crossed to the window. “It may be one of the Wizengamot members or Ministry offices we reached out to with the proposal writing back.” Blaise looked uncharacteristically hesitant, as if he were about to disagree, but Harry turned back to the window to let in the owl.

(Unbeknownst to Harry, Blaise Zabini was struggling with an internal monologue of his own. Unlike Harry, he did recognize the owl at the window, and his thoughts were mainly occupied by cursing the day he ever met a certain insufferable blond pureblood.)

The owl swooped into the small office as if it belonged there, dropping the wax-sealed scroll it carried into Harry’s unexpecting hands. Were it not for his seeker reflexes, he probably would have dropped it, and he could’ve sworn he saw the owl give the bird equivalent of a smirk as it alighted gracefully on the back of his chair.

Blaise sighed wearily, shaking his head. “Might as well open it, Potter. See what it says.”

Harry frowned slightly at Blaise’s uncharacteristic despondency, but looked down at the scroll in his hands. The seal, a shield flanked by dragons pressed into green wax, seemed vaguely familiar to Harry, but he couldn’t quite place it. Breaking the seal, he unrolled the scroll. Elegant but easily legible script met his gaze, and he began to read.

_Lord Potter,_

_I know that we do not have the most amicable of pasts, but as both of us have, I hope, grown beyond petty childhood squabbles, I wish to extend a hand of friendship from my House to yours in an attempt to mend past rifts. You are perfectly within your rights to refuse such an offer, but it has come to my attention of late that such an alliance would not be so one-sided as one might expect._

_I am aware that my old friend Blaise Zabini is working with you on an orphanage and school of your design, but that due to outside forces and past prejudices you are encountering difficulty moving said project beyond mere plans. You have no need of the Malfoy fortune, but Malfoy connections and political… expertise when attached to your project would no doubt contribute greatly to your success._

_As our Houses still have a great deal to overcome before trust can be built, I acknowledge that it would be difficult for you to accept this offer as one without ulterior motive underlying it. As such, I propose to you an alliance negotiation, as we may find it mutually beneficial to pursue this further following all the Old Protocols to ensure there will be no treachery resulting from either side and that both of us will gain in the end._

_I understand that you may need time to consider this option, but please respond when you have reached a decision either way. I am a patient man, but I do not like to be kept waiting without reason._

_Yours,  
Lord Draco Malfoy_

Harry looked up, momentarily speechless upon finishing the letter. Blaise was peering at him with a look of anticipation. “Well, how bad is it?”

“Bad?” Harry responded, slightly confused as to what exactly Blaise was enquiring after. “And why the hell did you complain to Malfoy of all people about our business troubles?” he shot back.

“Draco’s my best mate, I tell him everything,” Blaise sighed patiently, “and I want to know exactly how bad he bollocksed everything up this time.”

“He didn’t,” Harry responded, confused, “but I don’t know why he’s offering this now. What’s he on about? Here, you read it,” he offered, passing the letter to Blaise.

(Blaise managed to keep a straight face as he read the letter. _Oh, you little moron,_ he groaned to himself. However moronic in terms of how regular people interacted, though, he had to admit it was a bloody brilliant move for a Malfoy.)

Blaise glanced up at an expectant Harry as he finished reading. “He wants a formal alliance negotiation. You were wondering how we’d ever manage to get this off the ground, well here’s your chance,” he stated, waving the parchment for emphasis. Frowning slightly, as if weighing whether to continue, he added, “Malfoy may be a sneaky little shite, but he’s grown up a lot since the war, Potter. I’d give him a chance.”

“What is a formal alliance negotiation, Blaise? He said it would be a two-way deal, what does he get out of this?”

Blaise sighed, and Harry scowled at the thought that he was about to undergo yet another lecture about the archaic pureblood traditions that made the wizarding world so much harder to navigate. He wasn’t a child, but he hadn’t been raised to understand them and he just didn’t see the point. That was why he had Blaise, after all.

“Let’s go get something to eat, Potter. The others won’t be in until tomorrow, and this will take some time to explain.”

\---

A few minutes later found Harry and Blaise seated at a patio table outside a small cafe near their temporary offices. Once they both had coffees in hand and food on the way, Blaise sighed, stretching into his chair like an unusually large cat in a puddle of sun. “Well, where to start. First, I’ll be upfront with you Potter, since while I enjoy a good chase as much as the next man, I am not as fond of playing games as Draco is. Draco had already told me of his intentions to contact you yesterday, but I had no idea he would act so soon.”

Harry stared at Blaise in puzzlement. That statement only served to make things more muddled. Even if they were friends, why would Malfoy tell Blaise he intended to send a letter? And if he had told Blaise, then that meant he really wasn’t planning anything nefarious — that, or Blaise was in on a plot to ruin the business he had been actively trying to help build for the last two years, which Harry found unlikely. So if Malfoy was acting in good faith, and he found this important enough to notify his mate about, what exactly would Harry be getting himself into here?

“What is all this about then? Why would Malfoy tell you he was sending me a letter?”

Blaise straightened up in his chair, looking at Harry more seriously and with none of the shiftiness of earlier. “Draco asked me to act as your go-between, Potter. Binding two Houses in a formal alliance is a complex process and no light matter. Draco seriously means to make amends for his past slights against you, as he hopes you will do for him, and beyond that, he plans to make his House one that will be tied to yours far into the future. This is a great opportunity for him, but he was right in his letter that it could be one for you as well. The House of Malfoy may have fallen on hard times in the past few years, but they have a long history of ending up on top. It seems to be a Malfoy trait.” Blaise ended with a smirk, adding a bit of levity to his solemn words.

Harry was silent for a moment after Blaise spoke, considering. While it was true that he held no great love for Draco Malfoy, he had to admit that he had come to know more than a few of the members of Malfoy’s circle of friends and they had turned out to be the alright sort. He had certainly grown up since the days of calling Malfoy a ferret and throwing mud at the back of his head, it wasn’t a far stretch to imagine that Malfoy had done the same.

“So say I were to give him a chance. What does all of this mean? What would it mean to say I was willing to meet him and talk? What are the,” here Harry had to pause and think for a minute, “‘Old Protocols’ supposed to be?”

Blaise looked at him, only slightly gobsmacked since he was quite aware Harry was clueless. He might just not have expected for Harry to be this clueless.

“Potter, how the hell have you made it this far in the wizarding world without mortally offending some stuffy old pureblood by accident and being challenged to a wizards’ duel?”

Harry wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be a rhetorical question or not.

“Erm, I guess they figure it would be a bit awkward to challenge The Boy Who Lived to a duel to the death?”

Blaise shook his head hopelessly. “You’re one lucky idiot, Potter. Or I guess we should really be on first-name terms now, if you’re accepting me as a go-between. However short this negotiation may last.”

“Alright,” Harry accepted. That was easy enough, he had already been referring to Zabini as Blaise in his head. “So Blaise, what does it mean that you’re my go-between?”

At some point, the waiter must have arrived with the food, since there were plates on the table, one of which Blaise motioned to now. “Might as well eat, this is going to take a bit of explaining, seeing as I’ve got to start from the basics.”

“First, you have to understand the nature of pureblood society is entirely cutthroat, and has been since the first Houses were created. The Houses were officially bound to their present names far before the Statute of Secrecy was first enacted. Back then, wizards and muggles mingled together, but the pureblood families were always aristocratic, nobles like the muggle lords and ladies, but with more power. They preferred to act behind the scenes, no need to stir the peasantry into a frenzy against a magical king who was seen to be unnaturally powerful. Instead, they turned to gathering wealth, connections, and secrets.

“Deciding it would be in their best interests to keep their families as strong as possible, at the time the Statute of Secrecy was enacted, the most powerful of the pureblood houses entered into a pact, forming the Sacred Twenty-Eight. To preserve the power and wealth of their bloodlines within the families, they all engaged in a blood ritual to curse their own lines. The inheritors of the line would be the male descendant closest to the main line of the family, while the women of the line could pass on the legacy to their children, but not inherit themselves.

“They hoped this would encourage the power of their blood magic to remain within their lines, while incentivizing them to intermarry and ally themselves with each other through marriage. Because only males could inherit, the magic and wealth would remain concentrated within the main line of the family, making the goal of most families to have children only until an heir was born and keeping the families from needing to divide their fortunes or fail to provide for any other children.

“That’s why purebloods like the Weasleys are called “blood traitors” — even with the blood curse of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, they had seven children, five of whom were non-heir males. They don’t even have enough wealth to properly divide, so the majority of their children will have a negligible inheritance and diluted family blood magic.”

Blaise finally paused, meeting Harry’s eyes over the table. “Family is everything to purebloods, Harry. Particularly children, given that there are so few of us left. For a family to have children they know they can’t provide for, denying them even the full family magic they should be entitled to… it’s a disgrace, a betrayal of our ways and our values.”

Harry started at this, speaking almost before he had the chance to process what Blaise had just told him. “But the Weasleys are a great family! They practically adopted me, they’re wonderful parents!”

“Harry,” Blaise responded gently, “I don’t mean to disparage your relationship with them. But tell me, honestly — have the Weasleys ever been able to protect you how a family should? Would you have been able to live with them growing up? The point here is not that they’re uncaring parents, but rather that they weren’t able to put the wellbeing of their children over their own desire for a large family. Yes, their children have love and warmth, but what will happen if any of them fall on hard times? What if another dark wizard rises and their children are unable to defend themselves because of their weakened blood magic? Family is all-important, Harry, and sometimes that means putting the family above yourself.”

Harry listened, with some frustration at first, but then a measure of understanding. How would he have been able to survive in the wizarding world if his parents hadn’t left him his inheritance? Never mind the war, would he have been able to survive even his first six years at Hogwarts with weaker magic?

“I see what you’re saying, Blaise. I’m not quite sure I agree that people who don’t follow that line of reasoning should be labeled blood traitors, but it does make sense to put the lives of your children first. That’s what I would do if I ever had kids,” Harry finished quietly.

Blaise smiled, appearing happy that Harry accepted his explanation. “I’m glad.”

Straightening, Blaise took a fortifying breath. “Right, now that you understand the reason for all of this, we can get into the traditions themselves, and what exactly all the shite Draco sent you means.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the disclaimer at the beginning put you off at all, I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings over a fic. I personally don't agree with the bit about children in this chapter - imo, have as many or as few as you want to have, my own family has a history of lots of children and not a lot of money, but most of us have turned out happy enough :)
> 
> Anyways, if you're enjoying this so far, comments and kudos are appreciated! Thanks for reading :)


	4. Necessary Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco has some visits to make before he can bring about his plan, even if he would rather be literally anywhere but...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, sorry for leaving this hanging for so long! I'm afraid I got a bit sidetracked by the Hannibal fandom after finishing the show... anyways, I do promise to anyone reading it that I won't abandon this fic (my beta won't let me, even if I do get distracted by other pairings for a bit). Definitely gonna write some trans Will Graham fic in the future if there's any Hannibal fans out there lol (not until I finish this one though!)
> 
> This chapter introduces a couple of my favorite characters, and the next will finally get into the heart of the action, so I'm happy we've finally gotten here! I'm estimating this fic will be around 15 chapters at the moment, but things should start picking up from here now that we've got most of the exposition over with :)

“So you didn’t tell him that I intend on courting him?”

Blaise rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why you’re being so damn secretive about it, Draco. You’re the one who said you’d get him to marry you anyways.”

At the resulting glare, Blaise threw his hands up in defeat. “Yes, fine, I gave him several books with the steps to traditional courtship and other alliance bonding rituals outlined, and I told him the first couple steps of the Old Protocols to start with. So once he’s responded, he’ll be expecting the alliance negotiation and understand what’s expected of him. But no, I didn’t tell him exactly what your intentions are.”

Draco’s frustration was mollified by Blaise’s words. “Good. I’ll start arranging the Meeting of the Houses, then.” He paused, the tension that had been lining his face since Blaise’s arrival softening slightly. “Thank you for your help, my friend.”

Blaise chuckled, shaking his head. “I doubt this will be the last of your hare-brained schemes that I’m pulled into, Draco. You know I’ll have your back as long as you let me,” Draco brushed off the not-so-subtle dig at his unwillingness to pull Blaise into his wartime troubles; he still didn’t regret putting his friend’s safety first, “But if you want to pay me back, you can help get my harpy of a mother off my back about arranging my own marriage while I’m orchestrating yours.” With a laugh, Blaise ducked into the Floo, spinning off in a flourish.

“Drama queen,” Draco muttered to the empty room.

\---

With Blaise’s confirmation that he would soon receive Harry’s response, Draco set forth to put the next step of his plan in motion. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he apparated to the cozy-looking home he knew to be the residence of his aunt Andromeda.

Draco knocked on the front door, waiting only briefly before the door swung open to reveal a surprised Nymphadora Tonks.

“Hello, cousin,” Draco greeted pleasantly. “Aunt Andromeda told me your family would be bringing Teddy to see her today. I thought I would stop by to visit since I have some business with your husband that I thought would be best to discuss in person.”

Tonks (as he felt it best to address his cousin to lessen the risk of bodily harm) still seemed taken aback and slightly suspicious of his presence, but stepped back to allow him entry anyways. “Mum said you had been around to visit more lately, but what ‘business’ do you have with Remus? I don’t know that you’ve ever spoken a word to him before,” she concluded, puzzled.

“I’m sure he’ll let you know, Tonks, but it’s something of a private matter and I’d prefer to hear his thoughts on it first as it pertains to him more than yourself. I’m sure you understand,” he finished smoothly.

Tonks sighed. “Be as secretive as you like, little Malfoy. But Remus trusts me implicitly, I have no idea what could possibly be so important to tell him alone.”

With that, she waved him into the sitting room, where he found his aunt and Lupin sitting on the ground with a small child tottering between them clutching a giant stuffed… Grim?

“Hello Aunt Andromeda, Lupin,” Draco said with a slight bow toward each.

His aunt smiled warmly up at him, “Hello Draco, it’s wonderful to see you again. How is your mother? I haven’t been to see Narcissa in several weeks now, I should go visit her again soon.”

“She’s doing wonderfully, and she would love for you to visit. She’s been redecorating the château and she’d find it quite lovely to have someone else to share her progress with.” Draco paused. “Aunt Andromeda, I’d love to stay and chat, but unfortunately I have some urgent matters to attend to today; I shall have to come back another time, and perhaps become further acquainted with my nephew,” he nodded at Teddy, now busy trying to fit the entire ear of his monstrous stuffed toy into his small mouth. “I do, however, have some business I would like to address with your son-in-law, if I could borrow him for a moment,” he finished.

“Of course, it’s about time you got to know each other! And do feel free to come around anytime, Draco, it’s lovely to see you and your mother again after all these years,” she said with a soft smile.

Draco made a silent note to himself to be sure to visit soon. “In that case, Lupin, if you wouldn’t mind stepping out with me for a moment?”

Lupin looked slightly confused, but nodded his agreement, placing Teddy firmly in Andromeda’s lap as he stood up. “Lead the way.”

Making his way through the hall, Draco opened the door for Lupin to step through. Closing it softly behind him, Draco didn’t allow himself time to overthink and doubt his chance of success. Lupin had appeared far more approachable than his wife, and besides, Draco was a Malfoy. If he failed, he would simply find a more devious way to get what he wanted.

“Lupin, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to join a Meeting of the Houses between House Malfoy and House Potter. Given that Harry Potter is the sole surviving member of his House and that you are the closest he has to family, I thought it proper that you attend as his honorary Paterfamilias. I don’t doubt that he will ask you himself soon, but I thought it best to extend you an official invitation.”

Remus appeared thoughtful, taking a moment to study Draco before responding. “I appreciate you coming to deliver your invitation in person, as well as your readiness to acknowledge my connection to Harry,” He paused, and Draco had the uncomfortable sensation that Remus’ scrutiny was reaching soul-deep in judgement. “What is the Meeting over? I didn’t know that you and Harry were even acquainted beyond a childhood rivalry.”

Draco took a deep breath, steeling himself for Lupin’s reaction. “I have proposed a formal alliance to House Potter, one that I believe will be mutually beneficial for our futures.”

Lupin’s face was slack with shock for a moment before he burst out laughing. Draco gritted his teeth, waiting for the werewolf to compose himself. Draco hadn’t been hugely optimistic about how his proposal would be received, but this was not one of the ways he had envisioned this conversation going.

When Lupin had finally composed himself, amusement still filled his gaze as he looked at Draco. “I’ll be there, Malfoy. For Harry. But as far as getting Harry to accept any proposal for bonding when you haven’t had so much as a proper conversation with him… I have no idea what you’re thinking. We’ll see at the Meeting of the Houses, I suppose.”

Glad he had garnered the werewolf’s acceptance with only a bit of bruised pride, Draco smiled. “Thank you, Lupin. I will owl you when the date is set and look forward to speaking further with you then.”

The older man grinned. “It will be interesting to see what happens, at least.” With that, he turned and went inside.

Draco knew he should be departing to his next destination if he planned to arrive on time. However, he couldn’t help but drag his feet a bit, walking out onto the lane rather than apparating immediately. He checked his watch, then sighed. _Might as well get it over with._

With a quick twist and the familiar lurch of apparition, he was gone.

\--

Azkaban may no longer have been home to dementors, but it remained frigid, wretched, and inhospitable. As he approached the guard tower, Draco shivered despite the permanent warming charm on his cloak.

Stepping inside the visitor’s entrance, Draco handed his wand to the Auror on duty. “Draco Malfoy, here to see Lucius Malfoy,” he announced curtly.

The guard nodded, Draco’s visit was already on the schedule for today. “Portkey to the island,” he stated, handing Draco a rusted spoon. “Departs in 30 seconds.”

“Thank you.”

Moments later, Draco felt the distinctive tug behind his navel of the Portkey activating. He was deposited into an empty visitation room, landing with a thud straight onto one of the steel chairs chained at the steel table in the center of the room. Hastily Draco brushed himself off and righted his cloak. He had no desire to show any signs of weakness to his father, confined to Azkaban or not.

With a clang, the door opened. While any lesser man may have stumbled at the less than friendly shove the gaoler gave him, Lucius Malfoy seemed to glide into the room. _Even in Azkaban, Father is no less than a paragon of grace_ , Draco thought wryly to himself.

“Hello, Father.”

Lucius grimaced disdainfully. “I’m your father now, am I? How convenient. And how long has it been since you’ve last visited or written to your father? The last time I heard from you was you writing to ensure the family vaults would open for you as acting Paterfamilias; I suppose this time you’re here wanting something else.”

Draco took a deep breath, doing his best to hold back a sigh of exasperation. So it was going to be one of those days, then. “Father, you only have five months left on your sentence. You know Mother has been having a rough time of things without you since the end of the war, and I’ve been doing my best to ensure that the Malfoy family regains - and exceeds - our previous status. _Sanctimonia vincit semper_ , Father. You were the one who taught me that the family always comes first. And I have a plan to ensure our family will rise again, but I will need your approval.”

“Oh?” Lucius looked only vaguely curious, maintaining his front of indifference. _To hide his hurt feelings I suppose. Grow up, Father._ Azkaban wasn’t a walk in the park, Draco knew, but his father had been lucky to get off with such a short sentence compared to the other ex-Death Eaters who had survived the war. Malfoys always come out on top.

“I’ve arranged a Meeting of the Houses to discuss a potential alliance between our own House and House Potter.” Lucius remained expressionless, betraying neither surprise nor anger. “As it is Pureblood business and your Lordship will be required, I’ve arranged for you to leave Azkaban to join us for the day. I have reason to believe Harry Potter will be agreeable to the idea of bonding by marriage, and I will need you to back me in this endeavor and not undo all my hard work.”

For the second time that day, Draco was met with a bark of laughter. “You have to be joking, Draco. Potter, marry you? The Golden Boy of the wizarding world, wedded to a Death Eater? What a fool of a son I’ve raised.”

Draco bit back his anger. He needed his father’s agreement for the House magic to accept the alliance, and though he loved his family above all else, his father could be a fool. “Father, I know it sounds far fetched, but I give you my word that this will work. And if it does, the Malfoy name will be saved. Yes, Potter is a half-blood, but like you said, he is the Savior after all, and one of the most powerful wizards alive. He would bring nothing but benefits to the family in blood, alliance, and reputation, and he’s independently wealthy. While anyone and everyone sees him as a desirable match, I’m the only one who can make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Seeing Lucius remained skeptical, Draco played his trump card.

“Father, I know Harry Potter better than anyone else alive. I spent all of school perfecting getting under his skin, and we’ve both seen each other at our absolute lowest, darker even than anything we would ever dare show to our friends. We’ve grown up since then, yes, but at our cores all of us remain the same. I know Potter won’t say no to my proposal, just as he will know that I am sincere in my offer. You are the one who taught me to be the man that I am: trust that I won’t let you down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will Lucius stop being a dick? does Draco actually know Harry that well, or is he in for a nasty surprise? we'll see... *cackles evilly*
> 
> hope you enjoyed the chapter! please drop a comment if you're liking it so far, it helps motivate me to know there's still people reading it :)


	5. A Modest Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Meeting at Malfoy Manor has arrived, and Draco's broken the news to his parents and Lupin... but Harry has no idea what's waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, I apologize for the long unintended hiatus (and the lies about when I would update). I just finished a huge project for work and had a wild couple months, but things are finally getting back to normal for me and my beta's patience is running low. Anyways, this is for you, Squeakers. (and that's why it's unbetaed for everyone else, all mistakes are my own.)
> 
> Also, I stand by my statement that I won't abandon this fic, even if the delays do get long again. My beta lives in my house so I will get no peace until it's finished.

Harry was beginning (well, if he was being honest with himself, continuing) to feel increasingly out of his depth. He’d contacted Remus, as his de facto godfather, and asked the werewolf to accompany him to Malfoy Manor for the Meeting of the Houses. While Harry had a general idea of what to expect based on some of the books on Pureblood culture Blaise had given him to read, he hadn’t had time to read the whole stack cover to cover (who did Blaise think he was, _Hermione?_ ) and the books were… less than forthcoming about the specifics of Pureblood ceremony.

Most of the books, it seemed, had been written with the intent to educate the lowly wizarding masses about the great stuff Purebloods got up to with none of the dirty details. _Guess they never thought they’d end up with a Pureblood heir being raised by Muggles,_ Harry thought ruefully. While the books had plenty of descriptions of various events and traditions that existed, few of the actual procedures or ritual aspects of Pureblood tradition were described with any helpful level of specificity.

From what he understood, there were several types of alliance arrangements - war treaties, marriages, adoptions, and House merges. Whatever House proposed the alliance would also determine the nature of the alliance before offering it to the other House to finalize. _All House treaties must be forged in blood, be it the blood of battle, family, or death,_ read one of the books Harry had pored over. It all sounded a little dramatic to Harry, but he supposed his parents had died and they had all recently emerged from a war, so there was certainly enough blood to go around between House Malfoy and House Potter.

Feeling less than totally prepared, but also figuring that the worst that could happen was Malfoy suggesting that Harry be adopted into the Malfoy family (in which case he would promptly walk out), Harry arrived at Malfoy Manor at precisely the time Malfoy had indicated via owl. The wrought iron gate and grandiose grounds were just as intimidating as Harry remembered, but this time he found the gates stood open at his approach.

Malfoy Manor looked refreshed, and the grounds felt cleansed as Harry walked up the long, winding path to the Manor doors. Harry remembered the oppressive feeling in the air that had permeated the area during the war, the cloying feel of Dark Magic, but there was no sign of it here now. Even the peacocks had returned, Lucius’ pride flock strutting around the grounds in all their albino glory despite the continued absence of their master.

Before he knew it, Harry was standing before the massive double doors, black wood worked into intricate designs of foliage and magical creatures. As ostentatious as he expected, then. As he reached out to knock, the door swung open of its own accord, revealing a Malfoy house elf in what looked like what would happen if a silk pillowcase and a suit of livery had a baby.

“Please follow Bobbin, Mr. Lord Potter, sir,” the elf squeaked out, ducking down into a bow before quickly walking backwards, beckoning Harry to follow him inside. Harry complied, stepping inside the manor he had last entered as a less-than-willing guest.

The manor looked as improved on the inside as the out, the soaring ceilings and sparkling marble floors not betraying even a hint of the atrocities that had taken place within. Bobbin lead Harry to a drawing room (not the one Hermione had been tortured in, Harry was relieved to note), and he entered to find it already occupied by Draco Malfoy, Remus, and, to his great surprise and slight horror, Lucius Malfoy himself.

Draco stood, waving a still slightly shocked Harry over to sit on a chaise lounge beside Remus. “Welcome, Lord Potter, it is an honor to have you in our home.”

Lucius sneered from his seat. Harry felt like if the former Lord Malfoy still held that title, he would have less a chance of standing here than a snowball in hell.

Harry sat where bidden. The elegant coffee table in the center of the couches already had a place laid for him, complete with tea that looked to be exactly how he took it. Still reeling slightly, he opted to hold his tongue rather than demanding answers immediately, hoping someone else would speak first.

Thankfully, it seemed Remus was there to save the day. “Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Malfoy. As this Meeting was called by your House, perhaps you can enlighten Lord Potter as to the specifics of your proposal.” Harry shot Remus a grateful look. _Yes, I would very much like to know what’s going on._

Draco nodded, seeming to gather himself as he took a fortifying sip of his tea. “Lord Potter, I would like to propose a formal alliance between our houses. I believe we both could benefit from this arrangement, and that it has the potential to revitalize two noble houses that have fallen on difficult times. I would like to propose an alliance by marriage, with a courtship period and contract that can be mutually agreed upon after negotiations.”

Harry was glad he hadn’t just taken a sip of tea, because he certainly would have spit it out. His eyes must have been round as saucers, but Draco seemed to take his shocked silence as some degree of acquiescence as he bulldozed on.

“I’ve written out a preliminary contract if you would like to look it over. Of course, your stipulations and conditions have yet to be added, but I’ve laid out my initial proposition.”

Draco looked very much like he was trying his best not to fidget from nerves. Harry took pity on him. He still had no idea why what he thought was just going to be a formal alliance had turned into a marriage proposal, but at the very least Draco looked about as far as pre-war stuck-up spoiled Draco as he could get without giving up the inbred Pureblood look.

“Alright.” He glanced down at the scroll of parchment Draco had levitated across the room to him.

_Contract of Betrothal_   
_between_   
_Draco Lucius Malfoy (of Ancient and Noble House Malfoy)_   
_and_   
_Harry James Potter (of House Potter and of Ancient and Most Noble Houses Black and Peverell)_   
_The Ancient and Noble House Malfoy does offer the marriage of sole Lord and Heir Draco Malfoy to Lord and sole Heir Potter of the House Potter and Ancient and Most Noble Houses Black and Peverell as a sign of Good Faith in proposal of a formal Alliance merging the Houses._   
_This Contract will be fulfilled upon the Marriage of Lord Potter and Lord Malfoy, and will have provisions herein for conditions of that Marriage. This Contract may be dissolved without penalty by either party upon completion of a formal Courtship period of three months._   
_As Dowry, House Malfoy does offer the full and complete establishment of the Wizarding orphanage and primary school that Lord Potter has proposed to the Wizengamot. This Dowry is contingent only on the signing of this Contract, and will not be rescinded should the Contract be broken or the resulting Marriage annulled. Upon formal Alliance sealed by Marriage of the Houses, House Malfoy will continue to provide the full weight of its political support behind the endeavors of Lord Potter._

Malfoy was going to push the orphanage through the Wizengamot? And all Harry had to do was agree to date him for three months? Harry shook his head in wonder at the whims of Purebloods and continued reading.

_During the Courtship period, Lord Malfoy will be required to complete a formal Pureblood Courtship according to the sacred traditions of the Old Ways._   
_Following Marriage, House Potter will be responsible for providing an Heir for House Malfoy within a period of no more than five years._

Harry looked up in surprise as he reached the bottom of the parchment. “This seems like a fairly one-sided contract.”

Before Draco could answer, Lucius cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Lord Potter, however much I may disagree with my son’s decision to pursue a marriage alliance with your house, you represent three Pureblood Houses and are easily the most famous and wealthy wizard in Great Britain. Anyone would materially benefit from a marriage with you without any concessions at all on your part. My son just thinks far too highly of himself and assumes that even if you do stoop to marry him, somehow he’ll be able to con you into providing him an Heir to ensure the Malfoys don’t die out.”

Draco looked like it was taking every ounce of his control not to leap over the tea set to throttle his father. His mouth was pressed into a tight line as he glared daggers at the elder Malfoy.

Stiffly, he then turned to look at Harry. “Lord Potter, I’d like to have a word with you in private if you please, before we begin negotiations.”

Lucius was clearly doing nothing to help encourage communication between them, and seemed to be in conflict with his son, so Harry could see why Draco would want to escape his presence even momentarily. He nodded and started to stand.

“Shouldn’t you be chaperoned at all times during a courtship? Wasn’t that the point of trapping me and Lucius in a room together with you?” Remus asked wryly.

Draco waved away Remus’ “concern”. “You are both here as representatives and witnesses outside of ourselves for the negotiations. Neither Potter nor I are children, we can manage our own affairs. Unless you don’t trust Lord Potter to be able to make decisions for himself?”

Remus nodded and settled back in his seat. “Fair enough.”

Harry found himself ushered into a small office by the younger Malfoy. It was cozy, wood paneled with a fire crackling merrily in the hearth. Harry wondered if this was where Malfoy spent his time.

Draco rounded the desk positioned near the fireplace, placing his hands flat on the wooden surface and leaning his weight onto them as he faced Harry. He began to 

“My father is solidly against this alliance and this marriage. He thinks I’m not ‘good enough’ for you, that you won’t want to associate with an ex-Death Eater. He’s wrong though. He doesn’t know you, not like I do. We spent years watching each other, back in school. I know you, and I think you know me too. I can give you everything you want, Harry. Everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

“You know the only thing Malfoys value more than wealth and power, Harry? Family. I can give you a family that will never abandon you. A family that will support you in all your pursuits, that will be your bulwark where you’ve never had one, that will treasure and love you like you always should have been treasured and loved.

“I know you’re Harry Potter, and everyone thinks you can get whatever and whoever you want, but you shouldn’t have to depend on your fame and the hangers-on to get what you deserve. And I know you already have Lupin and your godson and your other friends, but you deserve someone who puts you first, who will cherish you and treat you like a prince. Not because you’re the Boy Who Lived, but because you’re Harry Potter, and if there’s anything I’ve learned from watching you all these years, it’s that there are few people in the world more deserving than Harry Potter.”

Draco seemed to suddenly run out of steam, his head hanging slightly like he had just realized he had poured his heart into his hands and offered it to the man in front of him. He took a breath and continued.

“My father would kill me if he knew that _honesty_ was my plan to get you to consider my proposal, but I know it’s something you value more than any amount of the traditional Malfoy bribery and politics.” He looked up at Harry, grey eyes sparking. “Please just give me a chance.”

Harry felt a bit overwhelmed by the sudden passion of Draco’s words. He had no idea Malfoy had paid attention to him beyond their schoolboy rivalry at Hogwarts, but it seemed he had. Draco had been right about at least one thing, too. In the face of that torrent of honest words, there was only one response Harry could bring himself to be.

“Alright. Yes.” _Ok, maybe something a bit more formal sounding than that. What were those words in Blaise's book again? Ah, right._ “Yes, Draco Malfoy, I would be honored to accept your Courtship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, if anyone's still reading this after the long delay, please let me know with comments and/or kudos. I told myself I wasn't gonna beg, but I really would appreciate it if you've enjoyed this so far.


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